For brain health, it’s okay to be a weekend athlete

The study shows that focusing on activity also reduces the risk of diseases such as dementia and stroke

Researchers have shown growing interest in the phenomenon of “weekend athletes,” those people who concentrate most of their physical activity on just one or two days a week.

Whether for work or family reasons, many people cannot exercise during the week, but do so on Saturdays and Sundays. But is it possible to achieve the same health benefits by concentrating physical activity in this way? According to several studies, the answer is yes, at least as far as brain health is concerned.

Lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia

New research published on October 29 in the journal British Journal of Sports Medicine have found that just one or two exercise sessions on the weekend can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The results among the “weekend athletes” were similar to those among people who exercised during the week.

The observational study included Mexican survey data from 1998 to 2004 and 2015 to 2019. The analysis included approximately 10,033 people with an average age of 51, including:

– 7,945 who declared they had not exercised;

– 1,362 who did physical activity several times a week;

– 726 who exercised only on weekends.

During a 16-year monitoring period, researchers identified 2,400 cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often precedes dementia. Among those who did not exercise, the prevalence of MCI was 26%, compared to 18.8% among those who were physically active and 14% among those who exercised on weekends.

Effects on brain health

Although more rigorous studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of exercise on brain health, researchers suggest some possible explanations.

The first is that exercise can increase concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. [moléculas que apoiam o crescimento e a sobrevivência dos neurônios] and brain plasticity. Physical activity is also associated with larger brain volume, better executive function, and greater memory capacity.

The findings suggest that, from a health perspective, the body may not distinguish between daily exercise or more sporadic activity, as long as weekly physical activity recommendations are met: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

“It’s really a question of volume, not pattern,” Dr. Shaan Khurshid, of Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, told the website. Health line. Khurshid was not involved in the study, but has published research on weekend athletes and cardiovascular disease.

Stroke, Parkinson’s, depression and anxiety

While previous studies have focused on outcomes such as cardiovascular health and mortality, another recent study, published in Natural agingfocused on brain health benefits, including reducing risks for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Across the spectrum of brain health conditions, weekend athletes showed similar benefits to a traditional exercise routine compared to inactive individuals.

This study involved more than 75,000 participants with health and lifestyle information available through the UK Biobank database. Participants were, on average, 61 years old, and about 55 percent of the group were women.

While some studies of weekend athletes have relied on self-reported data, which tends to be less reliable, researchers have used data from accelerometers (activity trackers) to determine participants’ weekly exercise patterns.

The researchers divided the participants into three groups based on exercise patterns:

– Inactive: Less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.

– Regularly active: 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.

– Weekend athletes: 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, concentrating more than half of this activity in one or two days.

It is important to note that although the term “weekend athlete” is used, physical activity does not necessarily have to take place on weekends. It can only be concentrated on certain days of the week. This group represented the largest percentage, approximately 40% of participants.

Researchers have divided brain health into neurological and psychological conditions. The neurological group included Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and dementia. Psychological conditions included depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

After more than eight years of follow-up, the weekend athlete group showed risk reduction comparable to the regularly active group across the spectrum of brain health. Bipolar disorder was an exception and did not demonstrate a significant association with physical activity patterns.

After adjusting for health and lifestyle factors, levels of risk reduction for specific conditions among weekend athletes were significant across all conditions:

– dementia: 23%

– Travel: 13%

– Parkinson’s disease: 49%

– depression: 26%

– anxiety: 28%

The downside of being a weekend athlete

For those who cannot exercise multiple times during the week, the results of these studies are encouraging. However, to achieve additional benefits, including longevity, people should ideally gradually increase their activities up to 300 minutes per week. In this case it is better not to try to concentrate everything in just two days.

Another important issue, highlighted by experts, is that concentrating physical activity in a short period can increase the risk of injury. This is why it is important to have proper guidance.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.